Vol. 4. No. 1 Spring 1994


  In This Issue...

  Project Profiles            1
  Available Resources         1
  Info Corner                 2
  Heart Matters Evaluation    3

                                                                      

  Project Profiles

  Dunfield Park


  Most of the Heart Health related activities in Dunfield Park take
  place in the Parent-Child Resource Centre, which is federally
  funded.  Unfortunately last year funding to the Centre was
  discontinued and the Centre was closed.  However, the Centre
  has recently been granted further funding and the Centre is due
  to re-open.

  Before the Centre closed, the Dunfield Park Heart Health project
  was very active in aerobics.  The project offered a variety of
  aerobics and fitness classes, along with other Heart Healthy
  activities.  The Centre is due to re-open, so Dunfield Park
  residents can once again participate in the various aerobics
  activities and can also partake of the many services offered by
  both the Heart Health project and the Parent-Child Resource
  Centre.


  Allied Youth

  Allied Youth, with the assistance of the provincial Drug
  Dependecny Services, has introduced the smoking prevention
  programme Making a Difference to young people throughout the
  province.  Youth are being trained as peer leaders.  As the term
  suggests,  peer leaders have the advantage of being around the
  same age and sharing the same concerns as the young people to
  whom they are speaking. By working together with sports and
  youth groups and agencies, Allied Youth hopes to get their no
  smoking message across to thousands of young people in the
  province.

  In Phase I of the project almost 200 peer leaders were trained. 
  These peer leaders, in turn, have delivered the smoking
  prevention program to over 600, 11-13 year olds in Phase II of
  the project.  The trained peer leaders are continuing to deliver
  the program to 11-13 year olds, through the school system, all
  over the province.

  To obtain more information on this program or if you would like
  to have youth in your area trained as peer leaders, or have the
  program delivered to a group of 11-13 year olds, contact the
  regional office of Drug Dependency Services in your area.


  BREAK FREE!!
  For a new generation of non-smokers.




  Available Resources

  The NHHP has produced three new resources, useful for the
  promotion of Heart Health, that are now available.  The
  resources are:

  Making Public Policy Healthy ... a vision for our community's
  health

  Heart Health Leadership Manual

  Heart Health Leadership Video


  The three resources will be sent to all NHHP projects, among
  others. The Regional Health Units will also have copies of each
  resource for the use of the general public.




  Info Corner

  Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends a daily
  healthy eating pattern for all Canadians age 4 and over.


  5-12 servings
  Grain Products
  One servings is:
  1 slice bread, 1/2 bagel or bun
  1/2 cup / 125 ml rice or pasta
  1 oz / 30 grams cold cereal
  3/4 cup / 175 ml hot cereal


  5-10 servings
  Vegetables & Fruits
  One serving is:
  1 medium size fruit or vegetable 1/2 cup/125 ml fresh, frozen or
  canned
  1/2 cup / 125 ml juice



  2-4 servings
  Milk Products
  One serving is:
  1 cup / 250 ml milk 
  1 1/2 oz / 45 grams cheese
  2 slices process cheese
  3/4 cup / 175 ml yogurt 


  2-3 servings
  Meat and Alternatives
  One serving is:
  2-3 oz / 50-100 grams meat or fish
  1-2 eggs
  1/2 - 1 cup/125-250 ml beans
  2 Tbsp/30 ml peanut butter




  Heart Matters Question

  I hear so much about trans fatty acids in food contributing to heart
  disease, but they do not appear on product labels.  Why is this so?

  Although trans fatty acids are considered to be among the harmful
  fats that contribute to heart disease, the law does not require that
  they be listed on food labels.

  To tell if a product contains these look at the total fat content of
  the product.  If the polyunsaturates, monounsatur-ates and saturates
  do not add up to the total fat content, the difference is the trans
  fatty acids.

  Food labelling in the U.S. will be changed this year to include
  these figures, and it is expected that food labelling in Canada will
  follow suit.

  Reprinted with permission from Vol. 4 No. 1 
  Winter 1994 of the Heart Health NewsletterTM, 
  published by the Heart and Stroke Foundation



  An Apple a Day

  It has been known for some time that eating fibre lowers blood
  cholesterol levels.  Now there is evidence that long-term
  consumption of fruit fibre may also prevent hypertension.

  A recent study shows that consuming the recommended daily fibre
  allowance of 20 to 30 grams in fruit reduces the risk of
  hypertension by 11%.  Vegetable and cereal fibre does not provide
  the same preventive effect.

  Conducted in the U.S., the four year study looked at 30,861 men,
  aged 40 to 75.  A study of women and fruit fibre in 1989 produced
  similar results.  While eating fruit fibre reduce the risk of
  hypertension, any program to prevent hypertension should also
  include maintaining a healthy weight and reducing alcohol
  consumption.

  Fruits that are high in fibre include medium apples (5 grams
  each), grapefruit (7 grams per half), medium oranges (7 grams
  each) and raspberries (7.5 grams per 3/4 cup).

  Reprinted with permission from Vol. 4 No. 1 
  Winter 1994 of the Heart Health NewsletterTM, 
  published by the Heart and Stroke Foundation


  Walking - Exercise for all ages

  A recent report in The Globe and Mail (April 11/94) reported that
  walking is fast becoming the exercise of choice for the 1990's.
  New studies have reinforced earlier findings that walking even at
  a moderate pace confers important health benefits; it is a safe
  and effective route to better health and improved fitness.
  Walking is a simple, available, cost-free and relatively
  injury-free method of achieving fitness and stress reduction.  The
  latest recommendations for achieving health and conditioning
  benefits from walking call for a minimum of 30 minutes, at a pace
  of moderate intensity, 5 days a week.  Exercise walkers are
  advised to begin at a leisurely pace, gradually increasing speed
  and distance each week, to their desired level.  Benefits of
  regular exercise include reduced risks of heart attacks and
  strokes, lower blood pressure, reduced body fat and lower risk of
  diabetes among adults.  Before beginning any exercise program you
  should consult with your physician. 

  To find out about starting a Walking Club in your area, obtain the
  NHHP Walking Club materials -contact the NHHP Coordinator at
  729-3939.

                             Contact Us...

                     If you would like to have
                     some "heart health"
                     information presented in
                     Heart Matters or you would
                     like to have this newsletter
                     sent to a community group
                     of organization, please
                     contact:


  Heart Matters
  Newfoundland Heart Health Project
  Confederation Building, West Block
  P.O. Box 8700
  St. John's, NL
  A1B 4J6

  or call
  Gregory Doyle, Heart Matters, Editor
  (709) 737-6222
  or fax (709) 737-7382